volume 15 number 2 a bi-cultural publicationfebruary, 2020

La VozVolume 15 Number 2

A Bi-Cultural Publication

February, 2020

FreeGratis

Inside thisIssue

Editorial:Donald Trump isNOT the Problem

An Interview withVanessa Fuentes

Rowland Garza forState Representative

Hogg FoundationMakes Huge Award

San Juan DiegoTeacher Profile of

the Month

La Raza UnidaParty Part # 2 See Pages 8 and 9

Margaret Moore was elected Travis County District Attorney on November 8, 2016.

Moore, a fifth generation Texan, is a native of Waco. Her father, Tom Moore, Jr., was DistrictAttorney for McLennan County from 1952-1960, which inspired her to pursue a legal career.She graduated from Richfield High School in 1966.

Moore earned a BBA in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin in 1970 and a JDfrom the University of Texas School of Law in 1972. She was licensed to practice law in Texasin 1973.

Her employment history as an attorney includes: legal counsel to Texas House of Representa-tive committees (1974, 1975); Travis County Juvenile Public Defender, appointed to that posi-tion by the Commissioners’ Court in 1976; Travis County Assistant District Attorney (1977-1980); Travis County Attorney (1981-1984), and Assistant Attorney General, Civil MedicaidFraud Division (2005-2014), where she was lead counsel in a case that resulted in one of the topjury verdicts of 2011.

Moore served as Precinct 3 Travis County Commissioner twice, appointed by the County Judgeto serve unexpired terms (1999-1998, 2001-2002). Her public service also includes chairman-ship of the Travis County Child Welfare Board and as a Commissioner on the Board of Emer-gency Services District #9.

Moore is married to Robert L. Oliver, a retired attorney. She is the mother of three children—Annie Meisel, married to Michael Meisel; Mark Oliver, married to Katie Oliver; and Tom,married to Jaime Oliver—and the proud grandmother of four—Sarah and Sadie Meisel, AnnieOliver, and Lyle Oliver?.

Contact the Campaign: [email protected] | Phone: (512) 571-3613 | Mailing Ad-dress: 3300 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 650-1253 Austin, Texas 78746

Fighting Against Mass IncarcerationMargaret is ensuring that Travis County’s criminal justice system adopts reforms to treat young people and those with substance abuse issues progressively. She believes that substanceabuse should be handled as a public health issue and not a criminal justice burden.

To fight mass incarceration, D.A. Moore has:• Increased the use of diversion for drug cases.• Expanded diversion opportunities for first-time and youthful offenders.• Reduced the number of people being incarcerated for felony offenses in order to stop mass incarceration.

Ending Cash BailMargaret is leading current efforts to ensure that no one stays in jail in Travis County just because they are poor. She knows that the only people who should be in our jail are those who area threat to our safety or who have a high risk of failing to appear for court proceedings. Margaret has long stood for and supported Travis County’s commitment to the use of personalrecognizance releases instead of forcing folks to resort to cash bail. Counties all over Texas look to Travis County as the model for ending cash bail.

La Voz Newspaper - February, 2020

Pol. Ad. Paid for by Margaret Moore Campaign. Hon. Bruce Todd, Treasurer.

Among the many issues that Margaret is committed to:

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Donald Trump is not the ProblemIt’s easy to point the finger at the president and call him the badguy. It’s easy to call for his removal. But Donald Trump is not theproblem. In fact, he probably likes people to point the finger athim. I think the real problem and the reason why he may be re-elected in November, has more to do with an increasing number ofAmericans who have given up on the experiment we call Democracy.

For Democracy to work, and to work well, it requires participation.When you look at voter turnout in some places around the country,it is in the pits. Here in Texas people call us a Republican statebecause Democrats have not won any statewide political officessince 1994. I disagree. I think the Republicans have managed tostay in office/power because we have become an increasingly non-voting state. And while the Republicans have been in power theyhave worked hard to draw state senatorial and representativedistricts so as to capture more of a demographic that they believewill vote for them.

As we know from the 2016 Presidential Election, Hillary Clintonreceived more votes than Donald Trump. Where she lost was inthe electoral college. Will that happen again. Who knows? But tocontinue to point the finger at Trump after his three plus years inthe White House is a mistake. We need to look at ourselves asAmericans and ask if “we” are really serious about the experiment.


An inclusive &compassionate

CATHOLIC communityRev. Dr. Jayme Mathias

M.A., M.B.A., M.Div., M.S., Ph.D.Senior Pastor

9:00 a.m. English Mass in the Church10:00 a.m. Breakfast in the Parish Hall10:30 a.m. English Mass in the Chapel12:00 p.m. Misa en Español en la Iglesia

9322 FM 812 Austin, Texas 78719From Highway 183 going South, turn left onto FM 812

Holy FamilyCatholic Church

For more information: (512) 826-0280Welcome Home!

Quality Vision Eyewear

Mon - Fri 8:30am until 5:30pmSaturday from 10am until 3:00pm

462-00012800 S. (IH-35) salida en Oltorf

HablamosEspañol

Su amigo eloftalmólogo

Valentino Luna,con gusto lo atenderá

La Paradoja de La VidaDios Creo al Burro y Dijo:

“Serás burro, trabajaras de sol a sol, cargaras sobre tu lomo

todo lo quo lo pongan, y vivirás 30 años.”

El burro contesto: “¿Señor, seré todo lo que me pidas pero....

30 años es mucho, por qué no mejor 10?” Y así Dios creo al burro.

Después Dios Creo al Perro y Dijo:

“Serás perro, cuidaras de la casa de los hombres, comerás lo

que te den y vivaras 20 años.”

El perro contesto: “¿Señor, seré todo lo que me pidas pero...

20 años es mucho, por qué no mejor 10?” Y así Dios creo al perro.

Luego Dios Creo al Mono y Dijo:

“Serás mono, saltaras de árbol en árbol, harás payasadas para

divertir a los demás y vivaras 15 años.”

El mono contesto: “¿Señor, seré todo lo que mi pidas

pero…15 años es mucho por qué no mejor 10?” Y así Dios creo al mono.

Finalmente Dios Creo al Hombre y Le Dijo:

“Serás el más inteligente do la tierra, dominaras al mundo

y vivirás 30 años.”

El hombre contesto: “¿Señor, seré todo lo que quieras

pero...30 años es poco, por qué no me das los veinte años que

no quiso el burro, los 15 años que rechazo el perro y los cinco

años que no acepto el mono?”

Y así es como el hombre vive 30 años como hombre,

luego se casa y vive 20 años como burro, trabajando de sol a sol,

cargando en su espalda el peso de la familia,

luego se jubila y vive 10 años como perro cuidando la casa,

comiendo lo que le den

y termina viviendo 5 años más como mono, saltando de casa en casa de

sus hijos, haciendo payasadas para los nietos.

Central Health y Foundation Communities seunen para acabar con el temor a presentar la

declaración de impuestosAsistencia gratis disponible hasta el 15 de abril para preparar la declaración de impuestos

(Austin) – Central Health está trabajando con Foundation Communities para hacerla temporada de impuestos menos estresante para los habitantes del Condado deTravis de escasos recursos económicos – y con vidas muy ocupadas. Esta colaboraciónofrecerá un lugar seguro para obtener ayuda gratis de expertos en la preparación dedeclaraciones de impuestos en el Centro de Salud y Bienestar del Sureste de Cen-tral Health ubicado en 2901 Montopolis Drive.

“Presentar nuestras declaraciones de impuestos federales puede ser confuso eintimidante para todos nosotros,” expresó el Presidente y Gerente General de Cen-tral Health, Mike Geeslin. “Pero para las personas que encima tienen que hacermalabarismos con sus trabajos, familias, estudios, y otras prioridades – y que ademástal vez no hablan inglés con fluidez o no entienden los requisitos de las declaracionesde impuestos– la responsabilidad de presentar sus declaraciones puede ser total yabsolutamente aterradora. Queremos acabar con este temor.”

El Centro Comunitario de Impuestos localizado en el Centro de Salud y Bienestar del Sureste de Central Health al igualque otras seis ubicaciones alrededor del Condado de Travis abrieron sus puertas el 20 de enero y permanecerán abiertashasta el Día de la Declaración de Impuestos, el 15 de abril. Estos servicios están disponibles para cualquier persona quegane menos de $55,000 al año, pero la cantidad de ingresos para ser elegibles aumenta para familias compuestas de cuatromiembros o más.

Desde el año 2006, Foundation Communities ha ayudado a más de 250,000 habitantes del Centro de Texas a presentar susdeclaraciones de impuestos. El año pasado, Foundation Communities ayudó a más de 20,000 familias a obtener más de$35.3 millones en reembolsos de impuestos.

Todos los voluntarios están certificados por el Servicio de Rentas Internas (IRS, por sus siglas en inglés) y capacitadospara ayudar a los habitantes a preparar y presentar sus declaraciones de impuestos, y contestar preguntas para asegurarseque todos los clientes reciban todos los créditos y deducciones de impuestos a los que son elegibles. Foundation Commu-nities le recomienda a todos los contribuyentes que solicitan crédito por ingresos del trabajo (EITC, por sus siglas eninglés) y crédito tributario adicional por hijos (CTC, por sus siglas en inglés) que presenten sus declaraciones tempranodebido a una nueva ley sobre impuestos que pretende prevenir el fraude. Sin embargo, esta misma ley también requiere queestas devoluciones se retengan hasta mediados de febrero.

“Este es el quinto año que trabajamos junto a Foundation Communities y ofrecemos estos servicios en el Centro deSalud y Bienestar del Sureste de Central Health,” explicó Elizabeth Marrero, la directora del programa. “La temporadapasada ayudamos a preparar las declaraciones de impuestos de 1,442 familias que obtuvieron $2.5 millones en reembolsosde impuestos. Sin embargho, creemos que hay más familias que se podrían beneficiar de estos servicios, si supieran queexisten.”

Los servicios están disponibles en español, inglés y lenguaje de señas americano. Los contribuyentes deben traer unaidentificación con foto, su tarjeta del seguro social, y un comprobante de que cuentan con seguro médico. Las citas en elCentro de Salud y Bienestar del Sureste de Central Health, localizado en 2901 Montopolis Dr. Austin, TX 78741, sonconforme el orden de llegada. El centro abre de 11:00 a.m. a 8:00 p.m. los lunes, martes y jueves, de 1:00 a 8:00 p.m. losmiércoles, y de 9:00 a.m. a 5 p.m. los viernes. Para obtener más información y el horario completo, visite la página deinternet ProsperTaxHelp.org.

Arcadio Viveros

Seventy-three (73) years ago precisely on a Sunday morninglike today’s, I was born in Panindicuaro, Michoacán. Mymother was living with her mother at the time occupying a smallroom in the Inn (Mezon) my grandmother operated.

I was the fourth born in a family of six children. I was not bornin a hospital rather my beginning in life was initiated in thatsmall room in themezon. Travel-ing merchantswould come totown and stay inthe mezon wheretheir horseswould be tendedto by my grand-mother and theolder grandchil-dren would pitchin with the vari-ous chores.

Almost everytwo years my far-ther would leavemy mother in mygrandmother ’scare. Every timehe came to ElNorte (USA) my mother was left expecting a child. My fathercame to work the campos (fields) of California, Texas, Colo-rado and Nevada. I often think of the contributions made dur-ing the World War II by the Baceros like my father were in-valuable to the wealth of this nation and equally important thetremendous sacrifices made by their families left behind inMexico.

I did grow up without a father and often tear up thinking aboutit. The life of an immigrant often isolated without the closenessand warmth of the family is a heavy burden to carry. Living inhope that nothing terribly would happen in their journey. Weknow that many did not return to their loved ones. We often tellour veterans “thank you for your service” and to our Baceros“No thanks” were given.

I know my mother always lived in hope that we some day wouldlive as a family again all together. That dream came a reality inthe Summer of 1961. That’s when we cross the border. Four-teen and a half years later from my birthday.

I consider myself very lucky and blessed for the many thingsGod has permitted me to do. I have enjoyed every stage of mylife and at 73 I fill good, energetic, and ready to discover newthings, work hard, do my art, board volunteer at the clinic. Mostimportant enjoy friends, family, my brothers and sisters,children and grandchildren. Life is Good, God is Great!

Reflejos de la VidaLa Voz Newspaper - February, 2020


I know that in this race one way I will be attacked is for my identity.And I'll be attacked from both sides- I know it will happen because it’salready started.

Some people say I am too Latina, too Mexican. How can I representthe needs of all Texans given my background of working on behalf ofLatino families? To them I answer: Yes, it's true. I have fought to pro-tect the rights of Latino families– to make schools better, to tackle#studentdebt, to make jobs safer and better paid, to#keepfamiliestogether. But these aren't issues that just Latinos careabout. They’re issues that matter to everyone. So representing the needsof Latino families doesn't make me disqualified– it actually makes meuniquely qualified to be Texas' next Senator.

Others say I am not actually #Latina or Mexican at all because myfather is white–that I am just using my mother's heritage to win votes.

But this isn't the first time I have heard comments like these. My wholelife people have tried to label me a certain way, to try and put me in abox. I know there is no singular way to be Latina, no singular way torepresent my heritage and roots. I am proud to be a MC-Mexican (Irishand Mexican). Soy orgullosa de mis raíces Irlandesas, Mexicanas,Europeas y Indígenas.

It's true I don't fit in any one box or one label. I am proud of where Icome from and who it's made me. I know my story represents those ofmillions of people that don't fit into any particular box. By telling ourstories and owning who we are, we change the ideas of who we can beand what we can do.

And in #Texas, a state so diverse as ours, we have so many greatstories to tell of who we are and where we come from– it’s what makesour state great.

Cristina Tzintzún Ramirezfor United States Senate

DURAN, RyanCharles RyanCharles Duran,45 With heavyhearts we an-nounce the sud-den passing ofour beloved Ryanon January 22ndat his home inAustin, Texas.

A nativeAustinite, Ryanwas born January8, 1975 to Mary and R.G. (Rabbit) Duran. He enjoyed hischildhood playing West Austin Corsairs football, swimmingat West Enfield pool, and going on travel adventures with hismany friends. A proud graduate of his parent's alma mater,Austin High School, Ryan was a strong safety for the Ma-roons football team and served as the Senior Class President.Deeply committed to his education, he attended Cornell Uni-versity, his grandfather's alma mater, where he played on theRugby team and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bach-elors of Science in Hotel Administration.

After college, Ryan moved to Miami to work for Ernst &Young as a consultant. But, his love of family and commu-nity service brought him home to serve at the State Capitalwhere he had run the halls as a child. Ryan served as theLegislative Assistant in Charge of Finance for State SenatorGonzalo Barrientos from 2001 to 2006. He also worked withSenator Ellis on the Senate Committee on Government Or-ganization. Ryan spent 2007 proudly working as a coordina-tor for the Obama presidential campaign.

Devoted to his family's' business, Ryan successfully ranRabbit's at 6th and Chicon, and was instrumental in preserv-ing his father's legacy in a historic, but quickly evolving partof east Austin. He was a friend to all and was pleased to serveup a cold beer with some quick wit and a warm smile. He ispreceded in death by his loving and devoted mother, grand-parents and a brother, James Anthony. Ryan leaves behindhis loving father, Rabbit; Sisters, Angela Duran, CatherineFerrell and Lisa Blonkvist; Brother, George Fancher III; Neph-ews, Gabriel Maroney & Jacob Duran, Mark & JonathonGault, Brent & Brady Blonkvist, Douglas Ferrell, and Nieces,Alicia Roberts, Brittney Blonkvist and Stephanie Ferrell.Ryan’s funeral was held on January 31st at noon. 2020

Ryan Charles Duran1975 - 2020


Never Give Up!


An Interview with Vanessa Fuentes

La Voz: Although the title ofthis interview says 10 questionsfor Vanessa Fuentes, weunderstand that you have a newname?

Vanessa: Professionally, Ihave been known as Fuentesfor my entire work career. Ithink many women who getmarried in the 30’s now keeptheir maiden name becausethey have spent so many yearsin the workforce as that name.It would be different if wasmarried right after college. Alsomy Latinidad is very much partof my identity. But I don’t mindif people call us Mr. and Mrs.Smith!

La Voz: You are originallyfrom Brady, Texas. Can youshare with our readers what itwas like growing in that smallcommunity? What kinds ofschool activities were your

involved in? What did yourparents do for a living?

Vanessa: 1986 was a pivotalyear for my family. Whilepregnant with me, myimmigrant mother traveled toAustin to take her oath ofallegiance and became anaturalized citizen of the US.

My dad, who is from El Pasoand had been working as anelectrician for many years, alsodecided to start his ownelectrical contracting businessearlier that year. And 1986 wasthe year that I born, theyoungest of five!

I was technically born inBrownwood because it wasthe nearest hospital that coulddeliver babies. I loved beingraised in Brady, the Heart ofTexas and also known as thegeographical center of Texas.It’s about 2 and half hoursnorthwest of Austin, so closeenough were I can make tripshome every other month hometo visit my parents, who stilllive in my childhood home.

Being raised in a Mexicanimmigrant family in a small,

rural towntaught me alot and gaveme the valuesthat I holddear today.My Dadserved ourcountry as aU n i t e dS t a t e sMarine andfought in theV i e t n a mWar. It’sfrom him thatI found mylove for publicservice.

My mom alsotaught me theimportance of education as anopportunity equalizer. I havevivid memories of being in 5th

grade and going to schoolduring the day and then seeingmy Math and English teachersteach my mom English afterschool. My mom worked hardto obtain her GED. She’s also ahard worker. Growing up sheworked at the Roddie WoolPlant, a wool scouring plant,where she worked on anassembly line cleaning wool.The plant eventually closed, and

she now works at our localWalmart.

Both my parents taught me thevalues of hard work, education,and family. It wasn’t alwayseasy, especially growing up ina small town. There weren’tmany families that looked likemine, or talked like mine. Butmy parents always made surewe had a roof over our heads,clothes on our backs, and foodon the table.

My brother is an electrician inBrady and my two sisters livein San Angelo. One works ata beef processing plant and myother sister works atWalmart. I also have two half-siblings who live in El Paso.

La Voz: When did you come toAustin? Was it for college?

Vanessa: Yep! I’m a proudfirst-generation collegegraduate and TexasLonghorn. Hook ‘em! I first

The month of February is tra-ditionally associated withValentine’s Day. But it isalso the month chosen by theAmerican Heart Associa-tion to call for increasingawareness to issues having todo with heart health. VanessaFuentes has been workingfor the past five years for theAmerican Heart Associa-tion in Austin, Texas and sowe have chosen her as ourinterview person of themonth.

I was technicallyborn in Brownwood

because it was thenearest hospital

10 Questions for Vanessa Fuentes

February is Heart MonthLa Voz Newspaper - February, 2020

came to Austin in 2005 toattend UT and received my BSdegree in Public Relations inthree years. Thanks in largepart because of dual creditcourses in high school whichprovided me the opportunity toenter university as asophomore.

I’m a firm believer that strongpartnerships with communitycolleges are a huge benefit toour students. They allow peoplelike me to graduate earlier andsave on tuition costs.

La Voz: Tell us about yourcurrent job with AmericanHeart Association

Vanessa: I worked at theAmerican HeartAssociation for nearly sixyears, working in grassrootsadvocacy across the SouthWestregion of the United States. I’vehad the best role because I wasfocused on getting the everydayperson involved in thepolicymaking process andempowering them to sharetheir story! I’m all about theprocess and always look forways we can better engage thecommunity to provide inputand share their livedexperience.

At the American HeartAssociation, our mission is tobe a relentless force forhealthier, longer lives. I’vemobilized hundreds ofvolunteers to advocate for suchcauses as improved access tohealthy food, quality andaffordable health care, and toreduce health disparities.During this past legislativesession, I testified before theHouse of Representativesabout food access and how fooddeserts are affecting ourSoutheast Austincommunity.

La Voz: What is the biggestmisconception people havewhen they think of theAmerican HeartAssociation?

Vanessa: I think people havea perception that we are a bignonprofit focused onfundraising and research. Whatmost people don’t know is that1) we are the largest volunteer-led health organization in thecountry and 2) and that wehave a robust advocacyprogram. We are one of a fewnational organizations that

have a dedicated advocacydirector in each state. This isbecause our organization trulybelieves that in order toimprove and save lives, youneed policy changes at thelocal, state, and federal levels.We also aggressively pursueprogressive policies, like sugarydrink taxes, and take on BigTobacco and Big Soda. We dothis because we know that wemust focus on the preventiveside of health and encouragehealthier environments so thatpeople have the opportunity tomake the healthier choice. 80%of heart disease is preventablethrough lifestyle choices.

La Voz: Tell us somethingabout you that we would havenever guessed in a hundredyears.

Vanessa: I was my high schoolmascot! My senior year Idressed up as “Champ” theBrady Bulldog.

La Voz: Who are some of yourpersonal s/heros and why?

Vanessa: My sister, MelaineJoAnn Fuentes. She isactually the reason why I servedas my high school mascot.Melaine was tragically killed

in a car accident in 1998, whenshe was a high school senior at17 years old. Melaine was ourhigh school mascot at the time.I wanted to honor her legacy byfollowing in her footsteps. Sheloved to write poems and drawroses. She gave the best hugs.Everyday I strive to honorMelaine and do all that I canto keep her memory alive.La Voz: Complete thefollowing, If I had a chance todo it again, I would . . . .

Vanessa: Honestly, I wouldprobably say nothing.Everything happens for areason and I believe God has alife journey planned for you.

La Voz: The last book youread?

Vanessa: The Road toCharacter by David Brooks.This book shows how peopledevelop strong characterthrough embracing thequalities of humility, self-discipline, and moral realism.The author suggests that theroad map to building characteris in the willingness to engagein the struggle between ourvirtues and vices towards thegoal of living a more moral life.

La Voz: What animal bestrepresents you?

Vanessa: The Lion. Lionssymbolize strength, courage,and fearlessness. I’m often toldthat I’m not afraid to ask thetough questions, and also as aLatina, I believe we have thatinner strength from ourancestors that guide us throughand give us the ganas in all thatwe pursue!

La Voz: Are there anyquestions that we should haveasked you but failed to do so?

Vanessa: Well, I can sharewith your readers that I amrunning for Austin CityCouncil District 2 to makechange work for US.

In a rapidly growing city, wemust work to extend Austin’spromise of a more livablecommunity by ensuring that itis affordable, sustainable, andaccountable to all who livehere.

I strongly believe localgovernment is closest to thepeople. When it comes tomaking decisions about thefuture of our community, weneed a fresh perspective at CityHall. As the daughter of aMexican immigrant, as a first-generation college graduate,and as someone who haschampioned and fought forequity in every workplace,board room, and organizationI’ve been a part of, I standready to lead the Southeastcommunity in this criticalmoment of change.

10 Preguntas para Vanessa Fuentes

Paid Political Announcement by the candidate


"Permaneciendo comprometidaa la comunidad"Endorsed by

Paid political announcement by the candidate

Selena's Life and LegacyBeing Taught at San Diego University


Rodriguez told Latin Post that the course is a big step forthe School of Journalism and Media Studies in terms ofrepresentation since the campus itself has a diverse studentbody. "San Diego State University, like many universitiesacross the southern border, is a Hispanic Serving Institu-tion," Rodriguez said adding that he wants the students toknow that the university does not count them as numbersbut is looking at ways to further celebrate this diversity bycreating content that is going to serve them.

When the award-winning artist was murdered by the presi-dent of her fans club in 1995 at the height of her career, itbrought shock and grief to the world. But her early passingwas not in vain because decades later, her fans continue tocelebrate her life and she has become even more popular.Various platforms and entities immortalized her with theirproducts and works that go beyond music. In 1997, the bio-graphical film "Selena" starring Jennifer Lopez became acult classic for fans.

Twenty years later, she was also honored with a star in theHollywood Walk of Fame. Meanwhile, brands like MACCosmetics and Forever 21 recently launched product linesnamed after her. On 2020, Netflix will also release a seriesas a tribute to the singer starring Christian Serratos.

Although she passed away 25 years ago, SelenaQuintanilla remains very much in the minds ofthose who knew her, listened to her music and re-gret being born too late to have seen her live andin concert.

But this spring, Dr. Nathian Rodriguez, Assis-tant Professor in the School of Journalism at SanDiego State University hopes to bring her to life,at least for his students, in a new course that hewill be teaching.

The purpose of the class he says, is to explore heridentity and Latino representation in media andhow Selena’s rise to fame changed the media land-scape. Rodriguez says Selena is the perfect iconto peg the class on due to the widespread culturalimpact she had. “She’s still one of those enduringcultural figures that people can really understandand identify with,” he said.

One of the ways he personally identifies with thestar is through finding the balance with his Mexi-can and American identity. Like Rodriguez,Selena’s first language was not Spanish, although she re-mains a Mexican cultural icon. He wants the course to teachstudents to understand how her cross-cultural identity al-lowed her to influence both the English and Spanish medialandscape.

He also hopes the class will help students develop their criti-cal analysis skills. It will take place in one of SDSU’s Learn-ing Research Studios, which allows for direct student en-gagement and collaborative work.

Students will look at representations of Selena in mainstreammedia, such as the movie “Selena,” the Netflix original“Selena: The Series,” which is set to stream next year, andthe use of her image as advertising from brands like MACCosmetics and Forever 21.

Rodriguez says studying cultural iconography will allowstudents to understand that media has the ability to influ-ence people’s opinions about Latino culture, and give themthe ability to dissect and analyze Latino representation inmedia. “This isn’t a class about a celebrity,” he said. “She’sthe pop culture hook we’re using to explore Latinx repre-sentation in the media.”

Dr. Nathian ShaeRodriguez, 37,specializes in criti-cal-cultural anddigital media stud-ies. He grew up inB a l m o r h e a ,Texas and wasvaledictorian ofhis graduatingclass. He attendedthe University ofTexas of the Per-mian Basin wherehe received a B.A. in Mass Communication. He went on toreceive a Masters of Journalism and Mass Communica-tion with a Concentration in Public Relations from KentState University and a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University.

His hobbies include pop culture, reading, and Spurs bas-ketball. His research focuses on minority representation inmedia, specifically LGBTQ and Latinx portrayals and iden-tity negotiation, as well as pop culture, identity, radio broad-casting, and issues of masculinity. He has 10 years profes-sional radio experience as on-air talent, sales, promotions,and social media marketing.

About the Professor

I am running for State Representative in House District 74. I

would like to thank God, my family, and all those who have sup-

ported me along the way. I am running to help families with the

rising cost of health care, to ensuring teacher pay raises are per-

manent to standing up for border communities and fighting for

our fair share in rural Texas. I’m ready to put my experience to

work for families in House District 74.

Rowland Garza was elected to represent the City of Del Rio,At-Large Place B on May 12, 2012. Councilman Garza was

born and raised in Del Rio, Texas. He is a 1996 Del Rio HighSchool graduate, a 1999 graduate with a Bachelors of Arts in

Education from Sul Ross State University-Rio Grande Collegeand a 2004 graduate of Sul Ross State University with a Masters

of Arts in Public Administration with Honors.

Councilman Garza has been active in state, municipal, and

county government; and multi-media marketing/mass communi-

cations over the last 19 years, working for the City of Del Rio as

Marketing Coordinator, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director

and Assistant to the City Manager, and as the Political Director/

Community Office Director for the Honorable Mayor JulianCastro of San Antonio, Texas. Councilman Garza is the Emer-

gency Management Coordinator for Val Verde County, as well

as the Sales Manager for MBM Radio and Legislative Assistant,

a duty he has held for various Texas Lawmakers, including PeteP. Gallego.

Garza is currently the President of the Boys and Girls Club ofDel Rio Inc., Board of Directors with the Border Baseball Club,

Del Rio Little League, President/Chair of the Del Rio RamFootball Alumni Association, President of the Box Scene Acad-emy, Chair of the Val Verde Unmeet Needs Committee, Vice

President of the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition and

past President of the Sul Ross State-Rio Grande College AlumniAssociation. He has been the voice of the Del Rio Rams since

1999 as the public address and radio announcer.

He and his wife Viviana, a Registered Nurse, and Army Veteran,

have been married for 10 years. They are the proud parents of 7-

year-old daughter Victoria, 4-year-old daughter Valeria, and 2-

year-old daughter Veronica.


Gracias porsu apoyo


AUSTIN, Texas – The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health is pleased to announce that ithas awarded $2.1 million for the Texas Communities Count initiative. The initiative sup-ports complete count efforts in Texas for the 2020 U.S. Census. The primary focus is to aidcollaborative approaches that will reach traditionally hard-to-count (HTC) populations,communities and geographic areas throughout the state. The goal is to encourage participa-tion in the 2020 Census so that every person in Texas is counted.

Twenty-eight Texas organizations were awarded funds to support any of the following: (1)direct, local, on-the-ground complete count efforts; (2) regionally coordinated completecount efforts; or (3) statewide coordination of these local efforts. Award amounts rangefrom $6,900 to $125,000 depending on the geographical scope and scale of proposedprojects. All awardees have laid out strategies that focus on HTC populations and commu-nities.

The local and regional grant projects (listed below) include organizations who operateaffiliates in multiple regions of the state, or whose proposed projects encompass multipleregions. All told, 58 of the 254 counties in Texas will be touched in some way by the workof these grantees. In addition, the six grants awarded for statewide coordination (listedbelow) will further ensure that all of Texas is impacted in one way or another by this initia-tive. The 2020 Texas Communities Count grantees are:

Hogg Foundation to Award $2.1Million in Grants for 2020 Census

City of Corsicana (Corsicana)City of Plainview (Plainview)City of Socorro (Socorro)Community Action Corporation of South Texas (Alice)Community Foundations of Texas (Dallas)Deep East Texas Council of Governments (Jasper)El Paso Coalition for the Homeless (El Paso)Galveston County Food Bank (Texas City)Housing Authority of the City of Austin (Austin)International Rescue Committee – Abilene (Abilene)International Rescue Committee – Dallas (Dallas)McCabe Roberts Avenue United Methodist Church (Beaumont)Montrose Center (Houston)Project Vida Health Center (El Paso)Rural Economic Assistance League, Inc. (Alice)Rio Grande Council of Governments (El Paso)Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network (Brownsville)Southwest Area Regional Transit (Uvalde)Tarleton State University (Stephenville)Texas Association of Community Development Corporations (Austin)The Health Collaborative (San Antonio)University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Houston)


Teacher Profileof the Month

NAME: Gladys Reyna

POSITION: Spanis andEnrepreneurship Teacher

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEENIN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:Five (5) years

WHERE DID YOU GO TOSCHOOL?: The University ofTexas at Brownsville, B.B.A. inBusiness Administration. I also havea Master of Arts degee from TexasState University in Spanish

WHO WOULD YOU SAY ISYOUR PERSONAL HERO?: Allof the women in my life, especiallymy mother and sister

WHATKINDS OF MUSIC DOLIKE TO LISTEN TO?: R&B, Pop, Hip Hop, Bossa Nova, Regaeton, Flamencoand Jazz. I listen to a lot of music in Spanish.

LAST BOOK READ”: The Art of Travel by alainde botton

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH?: Iam passionate, creative and idealistic.

TELL US AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUTYOU: I don’t particularly enjoy sports, but I loveplaying badminton!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?: Indianfood!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?:Yellow, red and white

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation,UT Austin Team Up to Close

College Graduation Rate GapsAcross Income Levels

Beginning in the fall of 2020, incoming Pell-eligible freshmen from families with the greatestneed will become part of the Dell Scholars program, a proven model that serves studentsfrom across the country. Each Dell Scholar will receive a financial award of $20,000 overhis or her time in college that can be applied to the cost of attendance, including room andboard, transportation, supplies, and other expenses. For Texas residents, that funding willcome on top of the university’s Texas Advance Commitment, which guarantees aid tocover the full cost of tuition and fees for Texas families earning $65,000 or less each year.

Although financial support is critical, closing the graduation rate gap requires more thanfinancial support. Along with this new class of Dell Scholars, all Pell-eligible undergradu-ate students at UT Austin will receive ongoing and individualized support from UT for Me– Powered by Dell Scholars, which will be designed to level the playing field for studentsfrom low-income backgrounds. This support includes:

Personalized, multi-faceted supportFinancial aid coaching and financial literacy trainingTutoring and textbook supportA laptop computerPeer advising supportInternship and career planningConnections to university resources and programmingOn-track graduation planning

With the enhanced financial support and services, the Dell Foundation and UT Austinembark on a shared commitment to raise six-year graduation rates for Pell-eligible studentsfrom 73% to 90%. This increase would surpass the university’s current overall six-yeargraduation rate of 86%. Nationally, only 1 in 5 students from a low-income backgroundgraduates from college in six years.

“A college education has the power to change the life of a student and the future of theirfamily and community,” said UT Austin President Gregory L. Fenves. “As a result of ourgroundbreaking partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, The Universityof Texas at Austin is poised to increase opportunities for thousands of talented studentswhose potential to achieve will be met with unprecedented commitment, resources andsupport.”

The program will begin serving freshmen this fall and add a new class of first-time collegestudents each year. The university has committed to raising funds to maintain these servicesafter 10 years, with programming fully integrated into UT’s Student Success Initiativesbeyond 2030.

About UT Austin - Ranked among the best research universities in the country, UT Austin is hometo more than 51,000 students and 3,000 teaching faculty members. The university, already consid-ered one of America’s best educational values, became even more affordable with the expansion ofits Texas Advance Commitment in 2019.

Gladys Reyna

Following the victory of the RazaUnida Party in municipal elections

in Crystal City and Cotulla in 1970,

the party grew and expanded.

1972 Texas electionsThe campaign run by La Raza Unidafor the 1972 was extremely

controversial because it was entirely

racially based. The leaders of the party

believed that change could only occur

by ‘ shared by Mexican Americans.

They also asserted that racism against

Mexican Americans was so prolific

that the entire political system would

have to be reevaluated. MarioCompean, said “Ours was a message

of liberation from a corrupt political

system anchored on the twin pillars

of racism and discrimination, on the

one hand, and social subordination

imposed by capitalism on the other”.

The candidate endorsed by La RazaUnida was an ex-Baylor football-

player-turned-lawyer named RamseyMuñiz. He was, at the time, a political

unknown, who had been involved

with MAYO since 1968 but had not

really distinguished himself.

Muñiz ran an aggressive campaign,

everywhere he went he hammered

away at both parties, although the

Democrats, who controlled the state

legislature and the governor’s

mansion, received the brunt of the

criticism. In a speech at Del MarCollege in Corpus Christi, he said,

“Ya basta. Raza Unida offers the

people an alternative and the days of

being led to the polls to vote straight

ticket for these two other parties are

over… if it is not done this year, it will

come next year or the next… as long

as there are Mexican Americans there

will be persons to replace people like

me”

Muñiz ran on a campaign devoted to

improving education in Texas ,

developing multilingual and

multicultural curriculums, equal

funding for all school districts, for

local school boards to proportionately

reflect their communities, free early

childhood education, and a number of

other services.

Despite his immense popularity and

recognition in the state as one of the

leading Mexican-American political

figures, his fellow LRUP candidates

fell short in attaining the same level

of popularity. Despite obstacles,

Muñiz campaigned tirelessly both in

the state and outside – targeting areas

w i t h

h i g h

numbers

o f

migrant

workers

f r o m

Texas.

Similar to campaigns run previously

in Crystal City, La Raza Unidadistributed massive amounts of

buttons, stickers, and

posters along with

holding huge vote

drives on election

day in the barrios.

Ramsay Muñiz lost

his bid for governor

in the 1972 elections.

He obtained 6.28

percent of the vote,

Dolph Briscoe – the

D e m o c r a t i ccandidate – received

47.8 percent of the

vote, and

Republican HenryGrover received

45.08 percent. An

estimated 18 percent

of Mexican

Americans who

voted in the 1972

election voted for

Ramsay Muñiz. He

received very high voting rates in rural

cities and counties with lower

incomes. He received 51 percent of

the vote in Brooks County and 46

percent in Jim Hogg County. In the

15 Mexican

American counties,

he received 30,020

v o t e s

compared

t o

Grover’s3 1 , 6 4 1 ,

and the

w i n n i n g

Democrat,

D o l p hBriscoe. who polled

60,697 votes. While

they lost the

g u b e r n a t o r i a l

election, La RazaUnida Party won

fifteen local

positions in several

borderland counties:

La Salle, Dimmit,Zavala, and

Hidalgo.

Despite this success in the 1972

election, it could not be replicated at

the state level again. However, several

counties in South Texas continued to

see candidates elected by La RazaUnida for years after the 1972

election, until 1978, when the party

broke apart.

Women played a growing role in the

party in Texas in the 1970s, holding

party offices at various levels and

running as political candidates, as well

as doing campaign work in many

localities. Among those who were very

active in La Raza Unida Party wereL

Maria Elena Martinez, who served at

one time as the chairwoman of the

party in Texas, Alma Canales, who

ran for Lt. Governor. Martha and

The Growth of La Raza Unida Party50 years Ago - Part # 2


ABOVE: Ramsey Muñiz

Juan Cotera were also very active in

the party as were Irma Mireles,Linda del Toro and Maria Jimenezout of Houston.

Political scientists have examined the

1972 gubernatorial race when LaRaza Unida Party called for ethnic

solidarity. There was deep alienation

among Mexican Americans from

Anglo-dominated politics. However,

Mexican American support for LRUPwas uneven across Texas and reflected

differing levels of economic

attainment and incorporation.

To be Continuedwith Part # 3

Endorsed by the MOST Democratic groups in this race,including AFSME Local 1624 and CWA Local 6132


En las palabrashay poder

Word Power

No one can ever argue in the nameof education, that it is better to knowless than it is to know more. Beingbilingual or trilingual or multilingualis about being educated in the 21stcentury. We look forward to bring-ing our readers various word listsin each issue of La Voz.

Nadie puede averiguar en el nombrede la educación que es mejor sabermenos que saber más. Siendo bilingüeo trilingüe es parte de ser educado enel siglo 21. Esperamos traer cada mesa nuestros lectores de La Voz una listade palabras en español con susequivalentes en inglés.

Restaurant

Waiter

Knife

Spoon

Fork

Napkin

Table

Glass of water

Menu

Plate

Glass

Cup

Check

Tip

Manager

Owner

Beto’s MexicanRestaurant


(512) 524-4179Mon-Sat: 6 am - 10 pmSunday: 7 am - 10 pm

Beto’s Mexican Restaurants began with a window of opportunity after co-owners Lupita

Bermudez and Norberto Nolasco were offered to take over La Placita back in 2010.

Five years later, Beto’s #1, would be another opportunity thrown at the co-owners.

They were already looking for something more, and that opportunity would have per-

fect timing, and they accepted without any hesitation. Lastly, Beto’s #2 would be an

unexpected opportunity yet again. Lupita and Beto would have only two hours to de-

cide if they wanted to reserve a running restaurant and take over it or let it go. They

accepted, and the restaurant would become Beto’s #2.

3306 Oak Springs Dr, Austin TX 78721

HOURS OF OPERATION Restaurante

Mesero

Cuchillo

Cuchara

Tenedor

Servilleta

Mesa

Baso de agua

Menú

Plato

Baso

Taza

La Cuenta/Cheque

Propina

Gerente

Dueño

Travis County Purchasing Office is located at

700 Lavaca Street, Suite 800, Austin, Texas,

78701 Ph: (512) 854-9700 or Fax: (512) 854-

9185.

Please visit our web page at

https://www.traviscountytx.gov/

purchasing

BONNIE S. FLOYD, MBA, CPPO, CPPB

COUNTY PURCHASING AGENT

La VozNewspapers is

Looking forWriters

La Voz BuscaEscritores

Have you ever thought of sharing your

thoughts with others? Here is an opportu-

nity you should think about. We are lookng

for writers. What you do is send in an idea

you have been thinking about and we dis-

cuss it. Once we agree on a couple of basics

you work on your story. You send it in and

we pay you. We pay ten cents a word. If you

write a story that is 100 words, you make

$10.00. If you write a story that is 1,000

words, you make $100.00. Easy money if

you like writing. And remember, you do not

have to be an expert writer. You just have to

be able to put down the bones, we will help

you with the make up. Contact us, 512-944-

4123.

¿Has pensado alguna vez en compartir tus

pensamientos con los demás? Aqui esta una

oportunidad que deberías pensar. Estamos

buscando buscando para escritores. Lo que

tienes que haces es enviar una idea que has

estado pensando y lo discutimos. Una vez

que estamos de acuerdo en los elementos

fundementales, usted empieza a trabaja en

su historia. Cuando lo acabas, lo mandas y

te pagamos. Pagamos diez centavos por

palabra. Si escribes una historia que tiene

100 palabras, haces $10.00. Si escribes una

historia que tiene 1,000 palabras, haces

$100.00. Es dinero fácil si te gusta escribir.

Y recuerda, no tienes que ser un escritor

experto. Sólo tienes que ser capaz de dejar

los huesos, te ayudaremos con el maquillaje.

Llameno en el, 512-944-4123

TRAVIS COUNTY WANTSTO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU

¿Tiene alguna pregunta o necesita más ayuda?¡Estamos para Servirle!

Oficina de Compras/Adquisiciones de la Ciudad de AustinRegistro de Vendedores/Proveedores en 512-974=2018

[email protected]/department/purchasing

Para más información tocante el Programa de Compras yAdquisiciones de Negocios de Minorías y Mujeres de la Ciudad deAustin, y del proceso de certificación, por favorcontactar al Departamento de Recursos deEmpresas Pequeñas & Minoritarias en 512-974-7600 o viste www.austintexas.gov/smbr.


DemocratMarch 3rd, 2020

Roberto R.“Beto”Alonzo

Vote¡Si Se Puede!


volume 15 number 2 a bi-cultural publicationfebruary, 2020

Documents